CFA CAMPUS ACTION DAYS BUILD
MOMENTUM FOR THE CSU
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All the hard work by faculty members and supporters to prepare for CFA Campus Action Days paid off with successful, morale-building actions on campuses around the state.
 CFA organized the March 6-9 week of actions to tell CSU campus presidents we need them to take a message to the Chancellor and Trustees:
Our university requires stronger advocates for the resources the CSU needs and for fair contracts for the CSU faculty and staff.
Reports, photos and news media reports about the CFA campus actions are streaming in and they indicate the events exceeded expectations.
Here is a round-up.
(Click on photos to see more images from that campus.)
See CFA's Special Report on Campus Action Days.
See CFA's Special Report Poster
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BAKERSFIELD
Bakersfield did not let a little rain spoil their rally on Tuesday, March 7 and attracted lots of attention from the campus and from the media-including television. Some 150 faculty, students and staff turned out for the event. The action included a skit, speeches, letter writing, chanting and a march to the campus president's office where CFA chapter president Larry Taylor presented the letters to the Provost.
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 CHANNEL ISLANDS
On Wednesday, March 8, members of the CFA Executive Board at CSU, Channel Islands delivered petitions to the president's office and asked for a meeting with President Rush. The president has agreed to meet with the executive board before the end of March. The focus of the meeting will be the need for more tenure track hiring and job security for lecturers.
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 DOMINGUEZ HILLS
More than one hundred faculty, students and staff gathered in the Dominguez Hills sculpture garden for speeches and chanting. The group then marched, chanting all the way, to the Administration building where they stood under the president's window to serenade him with calls for a fair contract, more money for education, and more classes.
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 EAST BAY
And at East Bay, 60 faculty members were joined by as many staff and students for a spirited rally In library quad with speakers from CFA, the other campus unions, and students. The CFA soup kitchen served soup and bread. They also had peanuts. On the peanuts were labels that “we are tired of teaching for peanuts.” A giant papier mache’ soup can bore the slogan, “Bare Bones is Not Enough.” The group collected signatures on petitions to the campus president and marched chanting loudly, attracting more students on their way through campus to the administration building. The campus president’s executive assistant accepted the petitions as a photographer from the local daily newspaper snapped away.
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 FRESNO
At Fresno, about 100 people, including 50 faculty members plus staff and students, heard speakers and signed more than 300 petitions. They donned “Unite To Win” armbands, then marched and chanted through the campus to President John Welty’s office to deliver the petitions. The group crowded the hallway outside Welty’s office and left the petitions along with an armband and flyers explaining the salary issue with his secretary. One faculty member was so disturbed that the president wasn’t there to receive the petitions that he left his name and phone number with the secretary.
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 FULLERTON
Fullerton kicked off the week of Campus Action Days on Monday March 7 with a rally and reception. Anticipating rain, the event was moved indoors and even with the change in location over 100 faculty members, students and staff turned out with picket signs to listen to faculty and student speakers implore the administration to seek more resources for the University and to negotiate a fair contract.
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 HUMBOLDT
Magically the rain stopped long enough at Humboldt for 100 faculty, staff and students to gather for a spirited rally on the steps of the library. Speakers included a representative from state Senator Wes Chesbro's office who reinforced CFA's argument that the campus presidents and the Chancellor need to take advantage of the improved budget outlook and send a loud and clear message that the CSU system needs more resources.
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 LONG BEACH
Congregating at the Fountain Plaza adjacent to the President’s office, over 150 faculty members, students and staff listened to speakers and continued to circulate a petition requesting that the new campus president carry their message to the Chancellor and Trustees about the real needs of faculty, students and staff. After listening to several rousing speeches faculty members and staff followed CFA chapter president Lydia Sondhi as she met campus President Alexander. He accepted the CFA invitation to attend the rally, where he was presented with petitions signed by more than 400 faculty members.
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 LOS ANGELES
The end of the quarter at Cal State Los Angeles did not quell a strong turnout of some 180, about half faculty and the rest staff and students. After a rally at the administration building they marched through campus picking up people as they went. An eerily life-like caricature cut-out of Pres. Rosser was on hand to allow people to vent a piece of their minds to the seldom-seen campus president about their difficulties with teaching and making a living with too few resources. A delegation went into the presidents’ office with letters by participants explaining the messages they want taken to the Chancellor. Rosser was said to be on vacation; his Exec Assistant accepted the letters. The crowd left chanting “We’ll be back.”
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 MARITIME
An early morning picket at Maritime Academy was followed by a lunchtime barbecue and picnic for faculty members, staff and students. CFA got a big helping hand from the CSU Employees’ Union Chapter 323 at Maritime, which co-sponsored the barbecue and information table. The table drew in many students who learned how the issues facing CSU employees affect them.
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 MONTEREY BAY
About 120 faculty, staff, students, members of AFT, CSUEU, and IHTSE Local 611 joined voices to mourn the loss of things to come if faculty and staff don't get a fair contract. At Monterey Bay’s funeral-themed rally, even the musicians called upon Chancellor to settle a fair contract. Reinforcing the theme were dozens of tombstones stuck in surrounding grounds and held up as picket signs.
Local Chicano hip hop band Para La Gente rocked, even improvising a line about the “mad cash” Chancellor Reed has for his own needs.
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 NORTHRIDGE
“Individually we beg, United we bargain” was the mantra at Northridge where more than 100 faculty and students gathered to continue the “Ask Jolene” campaign. Speakers raised questions about bargaining and campus issues such as parking fees and directed participants to ask campus president Jolene Koester, who also serves as an advisor to the CSU administration’s bargaining team. Participants began to ask their own questions of Koester, who based on her leadership roles has many insights she could share with the university community. Most people at the gathering wrote letters that were collected and delivered to her. Invitations to speak at the event had been sent to Koester and to Sam Strafaci of the Chancellor’s office. Both declined.
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POMONA
On Tuesday, March 7, 102 faculty members were joined by over 100 staff and students in the quad at Pomona for a rally and signing of petitions. Five distinct flyers were given out explaining CFA's bargaining positions and there were many one-on-one conversations regarding the faculty’s contract. The faculty expressed appreciation and support for the CFA bargaining team. Signatures are still being collected on petitions gathered that will be delivered to Campus President J. Michael Ortiz in early April.
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 SACRAMENTO
The rain held off held in Sacramento where under a sunny sky, over 200 faculty, staff, and students rallied in the Library Quad and danced to African drummers. The crowd cheered as Senator Gloria Romero called it pathetic that the Chancellor and Trustees aren’t asking for more money for the CSU and ate Ramen noodles served up by junior faculty to raise awareness about the low salaries in the CSU. The rally became a march across campus and into the Administration building. Though campus President Alex Gonzalez was nowhere to be seen, the marchers chanted inside the halls of the building to make sure he heard their message was heard loud and clear.
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SAN BERNARDINO
The San Bernardino CFA chapter organized the most visual of all Campus Action Days with their “CFA Mystery Tour” - a walk-around installation to show the landscape of the CSU if problems are not addressed. Starting at 6:30 am on Wednesday March 8, people could experience a graveyard with 59 tombstones represneting the lost tenure-track positions on the campus in the last three years, “affordable” faculty housing in the form of pup tents with data posted on housing in San Bernardino County, and the Sea of Indifference where a Charlie Reed puppet sat on a throne over a depository for student fees. Rolls of black material formed the Economic Faulty Line with information on the faculty salary lag.
At midday, over 200 people rallied for speakers after which the crowd carried 1000 signatures on petitions to the campus president’s office where they were accepted by the provost. The march was paced by a bag piper and drummer. A funeral procession within the march included a casket symbolizing the dying of quality education carried by four faculty members – one tenured, a lecturer, a librarian and a counselor.
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SAN DIEGO
On March 3 a faculty delegation met with the San Diego campus presid 40 others. Letter writing tables were set up where the faculty signed letters to be sent to the Chancellor and Board of Trustees urging them to bargain in good faith. Attendees expressed their support for the Chapters efforts to keep them informed
dent, and on March 10 a CFA social/informational event attracted about 40 faculty members an |
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 SAN FRANCISCO
About 70 faculty members at San Francisco State were fired up as they marched around the entire campus with picket signs at midday singing, chanting and demanding a fair contract. The group received a lot of attention from the campus community, especially as they marched through the student union, where many had gathered for another event. They gave “Unite To Win” armbands to other as they marched. Campus President Robert Corrigan, in a meeting with CFA members last week, said he supports the faculty and will deliver its message to the CSU chancellor.
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 SAN JOSE
At San Jose State, 150 faculty members, students and staff assessed the CSU Administration's performance in subjects such as workload and salary and gave it failing grades. Invigorated by a successful rally, the group marched and chanted their way into the Administration building and straight up to the campus president's office where the group presented the failing grades. A smaller contingent stayed behind to meet with the president and recommend ways that he could improve his grades.
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 SAN LUIS OBISPO
A faculty delegation took more than 250 signatures on petitions to campus president Baker’s office on Thursday, March 9. The signatures, gathered in just one week, ask Baker to speak to Chancellor Reed about faculty concerns on the campus, and the delegation asked for a meeting with Baker later this month.
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SAN MARCOS
More than 400 from the campus community rallied enthusiastically at San Marcos on Thursday March 9 for speakers from CFA, Academic Professionals of California, and CSUEU, plus students. The campus provost came to the rally to receive 550 signatures on petitions and letters from the sign-waving crowd. Fox TV and Univision conducted interviews with faculty members as drummers played and ralliers danced and picnicked.
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 SONOMA
Dressed in regalia, 38 Sonoma State faculty members formed a picket line at the main entrance to the campus to greet morning commuters. They were joined by many students who came and went between classes. On Thursday several faculty members, including CFA chapter leaders, will meet with campus President Ruben Armiñana to deliver signed petitions and ask for his help in getting a fair contract and more resources for the university.
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 STANISLAUS
A faculty delegation took 70 testimonials from faculty about working conditions and 10 from students about their learning conditions to campus president Shirvani. They were presented in a red portfolio along with copies of California Faculty magazine for himself and for him to deliver to Chancellor Reed, and a CFA lapel pin which the president donned.
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